The goal of this new proposed IMSD Program is to increase the number of minority students who enter careers in biomedical and behavioral research in which they are under-represented. Our proposed comprehensive program will play a significant role in overcoming the still-existing disparities, between minority and non-minority undergraduate and doctoral students at Rutgers, in their progressing into careers in biomedical/behavioral research. Through accomplishing this goal, our proposed IMSD Program will improve our overall Institutional outcomes. To accomplish this goal, our objectives are to provide the undergraduate and doctoral students in our Program with the academic and research skills, self-efficacy, motivation, and credentials that are essential to developing their competitiveness toward entering the next phases of their career - i.e., doctoral programs or postdoctorates, respectively. Thus, our proposed IMSD Program will: " Provide the undergraduate and doctoral students with a carefully-mentored, rigorous research experience that includes supervised conceptualization, formulation, performance, analysis, presentation at professional scientific conferences, and publication of their own research or doctoral dissertation project;" Provide a sequentially-coordinated, closely and continuously monitored spectrum of academic and personal support components to promote the students'highest academic performance levels, including, e.g., academic enrichment classes in gate-keeper courses, test-taking skills workshops, psychological counseling services, career guidance workshops, mentored graduate school and postdoctoral application processes, all designed to develop the students'professional self-efficacy, ensure their personal well- being and retention through to completion of their undergraduate or doctoral training on campus, and facilitate their entry into doctoral or postdoctoral programs;" "Mainstream" the students into the academic campus community by articulating our IMSD Program with other relevant University programs, prominent among which is the new "Garden State LS-AMP Program." The lead institution for this major new Program is Rutgers-Newark, so our campus will play a major role in its development, and it would be a major new interaction opportunity for our IMSD Program. " Cast a wide net to recruit potential IMSD students -- especially doctoral students, who are particularly underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral-related departments on our campus -- from multiple venues both on and off-campus, including the new Garden State LS-AMP Program and its participating New Jersey institutions, and the greater metropolitan New York City institutions with significant under- represented minority student populations totaling several hundred IMSD-eligible students in relevant major fields. " Monitor continuously the performance of our IMSD Program via data gathering, analysis, and review of our quantitative goals by the IMSD PD and staff, and regular meetings with our IMSD participants, toward eliminating any gaps in performance between our IMSD students and the students in the university community at large. Assisting in this assessment process will be annual formal evaluations by SageFox Consulting, which will perform interviews, provide and analyze questionnaires, and provide feedback and recommendations to the students, mentors, advisory board, and PD of our Program. " Among the quantitative expected outcomes for our IMSD undergraduate students: at least 90% of the undergraduates accepted into our IMSD Program will earn the baccalaureate, of whom at least 70% will proceed to enter a Ph.D. or Ph.D./M.D. program. And at least 90% of the doctoral students accepted into our IMSD Program will earn the Ph.D., of whom at least 80% will proceed to a postdoctoral position. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: The goal of this new proposed IMSD Program is to increase the number of minority students who enter careers in biomedical and behavioral research in which they are under-represented. Our proposed comprehensive Program will play a significant role in overcoming the still-existing disparities, between Minority and non-Minority undergraduate and doctoral students in our Institution, in their progressing into careers in biomedical/behavioral research. Through accomplishing this goal, our proposed IMSD Program will improve our overall Institutional outcomes. To accomplish this goal, our objectives are to provide the undergraduate and doctoral students in our Program with the academic and research skills, self-efficacy, motivation, and credentials that are essential to developing their competitiveness toward entering the next phases of their career - i.e., doctoral programs or postdoctorates, respectively.